Tire.



R. E. STURMAN.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

n a n mm Nr U MS & 4| r e b o R WITNESSES ATTORNEYS sTArns PATENT OFFICE.

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incense.

' Patented Apr. 21, 1914..

Application fi ed ii 1.10 1.8, 12. Ser a N 58- To all whom-it may concern:

Be i known that 1, ROBERT E. STURMAN, a' citizen'of the United States,-a-nd a resi dent ofFran'klin township, in the county of Wright and State of Minnesota, have invente'd a new and Improved Tire, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact de- 'scription. v My invention relates toimprovements 1n tires'for vehicles, and the object thereof is to producea tire which will have all the'ad-' so as to inclose and protect the same; and

the sections/are provided with means for securing to the same a tread of solid rubbar or other suitable materiahthus conforming as closely as fpossible to the shape of pneumatic tires -0 nionly-used make.

' Reference is to be hadpto the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which the same characters of reference indicate the same parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a transverse section showing my improved tire and the manner in which the same is'secured to the rim of a wheel; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof; Fig. 3 is a perspective view. of one of the resilient metal sections; and Fig. 4 is a view of one of the wedge blocks by means of which the metal sections are secured in place.

0n the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates the rim or felly of a wheel connected by and the rubber tread gives all the strength,

and rigidity that may be desired in a construction or this sort.

the ordinary and com My improved tire is secured to the rim or felly of the wheel shown at l by means of a ring or demountable rim 5, which has a dove-tailed groove. in the outer face of the same. This groove is shown at 6 in Fig. 1, and wldens inward, and the ring .5 is se- .cured to the felly 1 by means of'an annular ring 7 having a flange 8 on-one side and a detachable plate or ring on the other side. The plate or ring in question is secured to the ring 7 by means of the heads 9 of a plurality of bolts 10, the heads 9 of these bolts engaging the flange 8 on the ring 7, and v e bolts themselves passin through, the fel y,

as shownin Fig. 1, an through apertures 11 in the plate or ring above referred to,

this plate or ring being indicated by the numeral 12. Nuts 13 are screwed upon the ends of the bolts 10 to join the ring 7 and the plate 12 together, so as to grip the ring 5 between the ange 8 and the ring 12 and hold the ring securely in position. Plates 14 maybe placed on the sideof the felly 1 between the same and the plates. 12, if desired. It will beseen that each of the plates 12is provided with a rib 12, which extends inward over the ring 7. The ring 7 is thus gripped between the head 9 of the I bolt 10 and the plate, so as to be prevented from getting displaced from the telly of f the wheel, and at the same time the ribs 12 on the plates 12 will hold the'ring 7 snugly against the face of the folly 1. r

The metal sections constituting the body of my tire are shown at 15 and 16, and each is substantially circular in form, having out turned ends 17 to engage th sides: of t e groove 6." The sections 15 are arranged on the inside of the tire, and the sections 16 are arranged on the outsideof the sections 15 and close-the joints or cracks between "the same. The inner sections 15 have secured to the middle parts thereof plates 18 having bent ends 19 whichengage the sides of the tread 4. These plates 18 may be secured to the inner sections 15 by means of screws or rivets, these screws or rivets passing through the spaces orcracks between the outer sections 16 and closing these spaces for a distance equal to the length of the lates 18, and thus protecting the outer plate 16 to that extent.

The bent ends 17 of the sections 15 and 16 are secured in the dove-tai1ed-groove'6 by means of wedge blocks 20, which hold the ends 17 against disengagement. These blocks 35 the ring '7, and the screws which secure this ring in proper position.

are applied by passing them into an aperture 21 through the ring 5 as fast as the sections and 16 are put in position, these sections being resilient and admitting of the bent ends 17 being pressed toward each other until they enter the groove 6, whereupon they are released. The ends 17 spring apart and engage the sides of the groove, as will be readily understood. The wedges '17 are passed into the aperture 21 and slipped along the groove 6, so as to engage the ends 17 of the sections 15 and 16 as fast as these sections'are mounted. The shape of these wedges is shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and it will be seen that they keep the ends 17 in tight engagement with the sides of the groove 6, to prevent any of the sections 15 and 16 from being displaced.

The sections15 and 16 can be sprung into the groove 6 of the ring 5 at any point, but the wedges must be put in by way of the opening 21 and slippedaround in the groove 6 to engage the sections 15 and 16 as fast as they are mounted. The tire can thus be built up neara point opposite the opening 21 around both halves of the wheel, until the opening 21 is reached. Then, when the last sections 15 and 16 are'mounted in place, the hole 21 is closed by means of a wedge'22, this wedge having flanges or ribs extending in opposite directions to engage seats at the ends of the hole 21 and be secured thereto by means of screws or rivets 23. The body of the tire is then complete, and the ring 5 can then be mounted on the-folly 1 by means of The tread 4 is of course not secured to the tire until all the metal sections 15 and 16 are in position. It can be stretched to clear the bent ends 19; or, if desired, these ends may be straightened out'to permit the tire to-be slipped'u on the plates 18, and the ends 19, should it be necessary, to straighten them out for the purpose described, can afterward be bent over again by any suitable tool to secure the tread 4 in place; but the readiest and most practical way of putting the rubber tread 4 in place is to squeeze or force in the metal sections so as to make the outer circumference of the body of the tire smooth enough to allow the tread to be slipped upon the plates 18 and past the bent ends 19. Afterward, the metal sections are released and they spring back to their natural shape,

causing the ends 19 to engage the sides of the tread and hold the same in place.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a tire having all the strength and resiliency that isgiven by ordinary pneumatic tires now in use, and at the same time I obtain greater durability without in any way increasing the cost of manufacture. By making the sections 15 and 16 overlap one another the joints between the inner sections are completely covered and shielded, and the location of the plates 18 also covers the joints between the outer sections for a distance equal to the width of the tread 4. Thus, the entrance of dust and moisture is prevented. At the same time, my tire requires no inflating and consequently no danger of a blowout or puncture need ever be reckoned with.

I wish to have it understood that the above description is illustrative only, and that I do not care to be limited to the exact details herein shown and described, but reserve to myself the right to make such changes in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts as fairly fall within the scope and splrit of my'invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

In a resilient tire, the combination of a rin having a dove-tailed groove therein, sai ringhaving an aperture passing through the same, a plurality of sections having outturned ends to be engaged by said groove, wedge blocks for insertion through said aperture into said groove to engage the outturned ends of the sections to hold the same and the ring together, and a wedge block for closing said aperture when the last section has been put in position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence or two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT E. STURMAN.

Witnesses:

FRED A. KNOLL, J OHN NASLUND. 

